Good news: wrinkles are finally in style

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At 85 years old, Dame Judi Dench is putting her best face forward on the cover of Vogue. But whatever you do, don’t call the decision bold or daring, writes Kerry Parnell.

And they didn’t even do that lame thing of labelling it “the age issue”. She’s just there – no reason, other than we love her.

Editor Edward Enninful said, “I can’t tell you how pleased I am to see Judi Dench, the unassailable queen of stage and screen, starring on her first ever Vogue cover at the age of 85.

“She brings great perspective and a message of hope from her own quarantine in the English countryside.”

Once upon a time, way back in their heyday, I edited glossy magazines and choosing the cover star was always an agonising process. You wanted a face that your readers – who were defined to the minutest detail by the research department – would aspire to, be intrigued by, or even love to hate. Cover stars made a huge difference – sometimes issues bombed because of them and that celebrity would subsequently go on a blacklist of “stars who don’t sell”, which strangely in Australia, used to include a lot of homegrown talent.

If I’d suggested putting an 85-year-old on the cover back then, it would have resulted in a deposition from marketing. On the rare occasion older women appeared, it was usually for a “sexy at any age” edition, which now seems dreadfully naff; almost, but not quite as bad as its “sexy at any size” sibling.

But now ageism is the last taboo to fall. Just as beauty brands dropped the anti-ageing term, magazines and the fashion industry are finally embracing a widening of commercial norms. They have to, because the old ways aren’t working anymore.

“The cover is a powerful commentary on how Vogue perceives its audience,” says Jacynth Bassett, founder of the Ageism Is Never In Style movement. “The fact that the most prestigious fashion magazine has put its weight behind championing an older woman certainly increases the likelihood that others will follow suit.”

It’s a bold move, but could we also dare to hope it’s indicative of a reset – where instead of influencers and reality stars, we finally deify people who are good role models; the best kind of model of all.

COVID-19 is shutting down the old industry, meaning there will be less high street stores – J. Crew is the latest to file for bankruptcy – and magazines. The Australian publishing industry is still reeling from Bauer’s slash and burn last week as it purchased Pacific Magazines and promptly shuttered titles including InStyle, along with its own fashion tomes, Elle and Harper’s Bazaar.

Fashion Week also looks unlikely to continue as it was – whether it turns digital or disappears. Saint Laurent has already announced they’re pulling out of Paris Fashion Week, its creative director Anthony Vaccarello explaining something needed to change. “There is no good reason to follow a calendar developed years ago,” he told WWD.

Wouldn’t it be great if the lesson from lockdown was we didn’t need to consume fashion at the frenetic pace we have been, but instead enjoy it because it’s fun, whatever you look like, whatever your age, whatever your size; if we began to buy less and cherish it more, whether it’s a glossy magazine, or a nice sweater.